Sunday

To give credit where credit is due, I must say I'm due a lot of credit 😁: I spent the first part of the day clearing up the bedroom to make more room and just got rid of accumulated stuff. Living in a one-bedroom, you have be creative with storage and I was able to stow some things away by using the long closet and the only other closet space in the hallway. It looks pretty good, but I have more to do.

After lunch, I got my little cart and walked to The Market, then Wal-Mart and got just about everything I needed/wanted (aside from tacking a few more years onto my life). Bused part of the way back and stopped into Ross at the mall, where I had gotten large picture frames last week. Annoyingly, they had none--they seem to keep no stock at all--so I'll have to look elsewhere.  Got home at 4:30 and continued on my neatening up project.      

Incredibly, the futon I had just ordered from Amazon came to my door at about ten of six--on Sunday! It was in a huge box, with a smaller one inside and the futon, with case, in that. I got it out of the boxes, but won't open it until after breakfast today.  To harken back to the beginning of the day, I slept until 6:20, late for me, but it wasn't very refreshing, as I had had a terrible time sleeping. I'm quite sure it was because I was in all day Saturday and got essentially no exercise, unless you want to call making lunch for Jim and me exercise. I had stayed up until 10:00, but even so, I couldn't sleep much of the night. I may have been nervous about another earthquake, too. Anyway, I decided against taking a nap because I was afraid that would just make matters worse, but I felt pretty good.  As for the crossword, it was absorbing, although I didn't get all of it and finally quit with a few squares blank. 

Lunch, A Book, And An Earthquake

Jim came at his usual 12:30 and was in a lighter mood than he had been, so that was good. We sat on the couch for fifteen or so while I showed him my passport picture and we talked about renewing. After a bit more conversation, we went to the table and I served the garlic chicken, homemade applesauce, and whole wheat, along with his usual cabernet and my Modelo. I had taken the last of the birthday cake out of the freezer and served it for dessert. After, we again chatted on the couch. I walked him out at 4:00 after a pleasant afternoon.

Cleaned up, then went over to Von's for the free dozen eggs and soda my Von's app had said I would be awarded. I chose regular Coke, as I sometimes have guests who don't drink diet. I put the things in the fridge, then sat down and--see the "Alert" below.  

I'm reading the following, which I would recommend to anyone. Background: My older son, Patrick, grew up with P.J. Steward and they went all through school together. (Incidentally, I'm the only one who still calls him P.J. He goes by his given name of Paul now, but to me, he'll always be P.J.; he gets a kick out of that.)  Bryan, 26, is P.J.'s son, and he the book. He suffers from Becker Muscular Dystrophy, yet actually made the 500 mile "pilgrimage" from France across Spain, although he falls frequently and is often in pain. I bought the book from Amazon simply because I know and like P.J. and we're still in touch. Didn't expect much, but started it and was surprised at how well it's written. I'm about at the middle and am really enjoying it. P.J. has asked for my assessment and I'm delighted that I can tell him it's actually a very absorbing account of a real triumph for a young man named Bryan.  

ALERT: Ho, boy: Just as I started this entry (5:45 pm on Saturday), I felt a jolt that moved my chair, then several  bumps.  For an instant, I thought someone had slammed the upstairs apartment door, but that has never happened. Yes, it was an earthquake. I went next door to ask Suzanne if she had felt it and she had. I fervently hope that's the end of it. Son Mike facetimed me from Singapore and, coincidentally, they had had a minor earthquake about a week ago, which seemed to originate in Sumatra. While I was "with" him, both Jim and Suzanne texted me with news about the quake. It was deemed only a 4.0 and no damage or injuries were reported. I called Ellen and she hadn't even felt it. 

Friday

Well, the weight report will only be for the home one, which was 127.2, a gain of 1.6, but I'm not concerned, as I count it as a normal fluctuation. I hadn't planned to go to T.O.P.S., but I slept well, getting up at 6:30, so I guess I could have made it, but I just didn't feel like it. 

Got two more thing done that I've been putting off, one a pedicure I badly needed. I walked over to Nails La'Elegance, just across in the Von's shopping center, after breakfast and paid thirty-six bucks (with tip) for it, but it was worth every cent. 

After getting home, I took my cart and walked to The Market for "cosmetic wedges" (little sponges that I use for the bunion on my right foot), then to Wal-Mart for--dah-dah!--my passport picture. I found it impossible to do at home, although the site said you couldn't, but it just didn't work. Anyway, this was quick and easy and was only $8.02, whereas it's sixteen bucks at CVS. As for the picture, I'll never show it to anyone but the authorities: I look like a hundred-and-two-year-old felon.

Bused home, had lunch, then Jim called. I told him about the passport thing at Wal-Mart, so he'll get his done there, too. Naturally, I invited him for lunch today and he was glad to accept. Ha, ha, we always follow this little ritual: We talk on Friday and before we hang up, I invite him for lunch for Saturday and he accepts. Once in a while, there's an exception, so he might come on Sunday, but as a rule, it's Saturday. That's okay, I need company and I like Jim most of the time.

Niece Joan called to tell me, as I had requested, her impressions of my brother, Jim in Bangkok. As I had been pretty much aware, he's more or less out of it. He has both a daytime and a nighttime caregiver and one of them sleeps there, but Joan couldn't remember which. At 96, he's about on Betty's and Frank's level now, which I  had suspected: passive, unaware of much, little memory left, but in no pain and more or less content. Joan and I didn't discuss her hurtful words of the other day nor my angry response, but we both said "I love you" before we hung up and I feel better about the whole thing now.  

Ninetieth For Roz

Called my niece, Joan, because she was going to call me after a Sunday Zoom visit with my brother, Jim, in Bangkok. However, she said now it would place last night; she'll get in touch after. After that, she expressed some of the passive/aggressive accusations that seem to be her stock in trade. That just floored me, but I'm not going to into any more detail here.

I put in a wash, mostly of outerwear--jackets and sweaters, then tried again to get my passport picture shrunken to the required two by two inches. No dice and now I say the hell with it; I'll just pay CVS fifteen bucks to do it. The damn water pressure is again dwindling. I could have sworn I had noted in this blog the last time it happened, but I haven't found it. I'm definitely going to keep it on this entry. 

Okay, Ellen picked me up about 4:00 and we went to her house in Ojai while she changed, then left for Santa Barbara to celebrate ninety years for her fiancée's mother, Roz.  Got  to Tap Thai just a few minutes late to find the birthday girl, Greg's mother, Roz; Greg; his brother, Frank; sister-in-law, Pam' and nephew, Andrew, already there. We ordered, ate, and had some good talk and laughs. We were there for maybe an hour and a half, then went to Roz'es for birthday cake. A friend of Roz'es named Vickie joined us there, along with her incredibly frisky little dog, Maggie. Even I got a kick out of Maggie's racing around, jumping up on furniture and laps, and excitably dog-kissing (licking) everybody in sight.

We sang the song, had the cake, then sat around the table chatting. Anthony graduated from UCSB a year ago with a degree in philosophy (!) and now works in the research department of the Mayo Clinic where his dad is a cardiologist. He intends to follow in Frank's footsteps and go to medical school. Nice, nice young man--tall and good-looking, too. His two younger brothers are in college.

We stayed until about 9:00--practically the middle of the night to me--then Greg took me home, as El had to get up early for school. She called, that sweet, sweet girl, while we were on the way to ask Greg to walk me to my door after we pulled in, and he did. Went to bed right away and slept deeply until 6:20.

I had seen Greg's family only once or twice before COVID and not at all since then. I seem to remember some awkwardness--or maybe that was my imagination. Last night, we had a wonderful, relaxed time; and it was so much fun. I hope they come back before too long and I can see them again.

 

Cremation Breakfast

Ha, ha, I'm getting to be a cremation regular--or free meal devotee, maybe. Got to Denny's at the stated time of 8:30; there were ten other people there, all elderly, natch. A woman named Sarah James presented. She isn't part of the mortuary team, but is called "community counselor," meaning, in this case, she's a sales person. Her delivery was pretty strident, but it was interesting to me. It took about an hour, with slides, and she opened with some quizzes (whose funeral was the most expensive in history? That of Diana, Princess of Wales. Tickets to whose funeral were scalped for $10,000? Michael Jackson's), then got down to business. I'm not going to elaborate on that here, but I was caught up enough that I made an appointment for her to come see me at home on Tuesday.

Before I left, I sought out our waitress (I was charmed by the fact that her name was "Rosemary) and gave her a tip. I wish more people would remember to do this, even though tips are factored in to the cost of the program. 

Walked from there to the mall and picked up a bottle of cream sherry at BevMo to give Roz. Looked around a bit, then bused home. As I was walking into the complex, I saw Vickie and we had a long talk. She's elated that Mary has been admitted to a place in Fillmore, which is where she wants her. Unfortunately, Mary is still combative, but the hope and expectation is that with care and medication, this will fade.  

Home and I had just a very light lunch--I was still full from breakfast--then got my cart and prepared to walk to Wal-Mart. However, the wind had picked up again and I jettisoned that plan. Went over to Von's instead, for yogurt and a few other things, then to Hallmark for a card for Roz.

When I got home, I saw that Suzanne's door was open. Javier and Jose, the maintenance guys, were replacing the exhaust over her stove. She invited me in, we caught up with each other, then she came to my place and we continued for twenty or so. After she left, I was about to call Ellen, when she called me. Plans for Roz'es party may or may not have changed, to be held on Saturday, instead of tonight. I fervently hope so, as Ellen has to work on Friday, but nothing was decided as of 5:00, so I still don't know if we go today or not.

Tuesday

Interesting day. Continuing to pursue Whizzie Eaton's children, I found her son's information on WhitePages. Having had no luck getting in touch with his sisters, I called him (he lives in Aubrey, Texas). A message machine was on and I stated my reason for calling, then prepared to go out. 

I took my cart and bused to the mall after breakfast. Got a few items at Target, then cream sherry at BevMo. Actually, I bought two bottles, as they were on sale. I was amused to see they were Christian Brothers; that was my father-in-law's choice for his--just one--glass of brandy in the evening.

From there, I went to Ross to get picture frames. I found what I wanted and took them to the register, but they're large and I then realized they might have been a problem getting home. The cart was already pretty full and was quite heavy. Besides that, it was very windy--there was an advisory--so I asked the cashier if I could put them on hold and pick them up later in the day, and he agreed. Went home and called Suzanne to see if she would mind taking me back. She was at work (St. John's in Oxnard), but said she'd be back in a half hour. When she got back, she took me and I got the frames. I mounted the pictures when I got home and they look good, but I'm not sure how I'm going to get them on the wall. Oh, well, I'll worry about that later. 

After that, for some reason, I felt tired and I took a nap of about two hours. I was full of energy when I got up and was delighted to see Richard Evans had called me back and left voice mail. I called him immediately and we had a great conversation. He was thrilled to hear I had a picture of his mother with Betty and me and we talked for some time. I promised to email it to him and will right now. Darn, I wish Whizzie hadn't died two  years ago, but the next best thing was talking to her son.

Ellen called about 8:00 to invite me to a birthday dinner for Greg's mother, Roz, tomorrow night. She'll be ninety and her other son and his wife are hosting this at a restaurant in Santa Barbara. Why such a last-minute invitation? It seems the arrangements were last-minute, also, and it will be just family, possibly including her grandson, who's at UCSB. Well, sure, I'll go; my policy is "never turn down an invitation." Not sure what I'll wear or get her, but I'll think of something.

Now it's off to the cremation breakfast! 

Monday

 Called Olivia in the morning and we had a good talk. She's still fearful about going to lunch and also has some kind of physical problem--I'm afraid I just don't remember what it is, but it seems to be improving. Anyway. we'll keep in touch.

I spent time--finally--on various things I've neglected, including framing some family pictures sent to me recently. I think I'll go today to get three matching frames from Ross or Target. Also spent a frustrating amount of time  trying to get both Jim's and my passport pictures (we took them with my phone on Sunday) down to the required 2" by 2." The gov website is so unhelpful; it gets you to the point of printing the picture, and that's it. I know I could go to CVS or Wal-Mart for the picture, by why should I? I can do it myself, if I can just find out how to shrink it. Emailed Mike to ask him.

Bused to town after lunch. Although it was too cool for my taste and somewhat windy, Main Street was full of people, which always gives me a lift. I bought a little container and two DVSs, then went home.

Decided to go to the cremation thing--breakfast--tomorrow and signed up for that. Continued my quest to try to find Whizzie Eaton's offspring and sent an email to one of her daughters. However, it didn't get delivered and I got a message to the effect it isn't deliverable. Went back onto WhitePages and found a phone number for her son in Aubrey, Texas. I'll keep pursuing the older daughter and if that fails, contact him. Ellen called in the evening--always a pleasure--and we caught up with each other. 

Other than that--nada.